Wedding Hair Extensions Reviewed: Everything You Need to Know

If you’re dreaming of having long, flowing locks for your wedding day, or simply want to boost your volume for a dramatic up-do, wedding hair extensions might be the answer.

A far cry from the straggly strips of the early noughties, (Paris Hilton, we’re looking at you), hair extensions have come a long way. They can  now be expertly blended into your own hair, and colour matched for a subtle style that looks like your own hair, only better.

We spoke to the experts at London Hair Lab, the hair extension brand responsible for Zoe Sugg’s 2019 hair transformation about everything there is to know about wedding hair extensions, and even sent a member of the Confetti team along to try the extensions for themselves – read on for all the vital information, and to see how we go on trialing London Hair Lab extensions.

The Different Types of Hair Extensions

There are a variety of different types of hair extensions, as Danielle Pink of London Hair Lab explains.

Micro ring hair extensions: A permanent hair extension method that last for up to three months.

The benefit of micro rings is that they are reusable so are a cost effective method. Hair can be reused for as long as up to one year. It’s also suitable for most hair types and is our most popular method.

Micro bond hair extensions: Micro bond hair extensions are usually used for fine to medium hair. The benefits are you that the connection bond is very small and discreet which allows you apply to finer parts of the hair. These last for up to three months, but are not reusable.

Tape hair extensions: Tape extensions are classed as a semi permanent method which a lot of new clients like as the wear time is six to eight weeks so they feel they’re not committing to extensions long term if they don’t like them. It’s a lovely introduction to extensions.

Clip in hair extensions: Clip in hair extensions are ideal for people who don’t want to wear extensions all the time. They should be worn three to four time a week at max and taken out before bed. They’re great for adding lots of hair into a small area.

Which Hair Extensions are Best for Brides?

“I would recommend clip in hair extensions for weddings, especially if you are just wanting something for the upcoming events and don’t want to commit to permanent extensions,” advises Danielle. “Clip in extensions are also ideal for up dos and adding extra body and length to achieve a fuller bun or ponytail.”

“Micro ring hair extensions are very popular with brides also. because usually they want their hair to look good for the hen do, wedding and honeymoon and they have the piece of mind that their hair will look and stay perfect for the whole time without having to do much themselves.”

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Wedding Hair Extensions Reviewed

Confetti’s Ella headed to Vixen & Blush in Central London to put the London Hair Lab’s extensions to the test.

How long did your appointment take? – “Time scale truly depends what type of hair extensions you are going for. Micro rings and bonds can take up to 2.5 hours as these deal with smaller clusters of hair, whereas the invisible tape method takes about an hour.”

Was there a consultation first? What did this entail?  – “I had both my consultation and fitting in the same appointment, but you can if wanted have them separately. My stylist asked me how long I wanted my hair? Did I have a thickness in mind? How long I wanted to keep it in for? and what type of styles I typically go for. I was then advised that for me the best option would be the invisible tape extensions.”

What did the application process entail? Was it painful? – “Having the extensions fitted was a lot easier than I expected. Firstly my stylist did a colour match against my hair, Vixen & Blush blend colours to make the match as seamless as possible. I have a number of different colours in my hair, so the team used a selection of loose ponytails of their hair to find the perfect match. Once we had the colour, she started to fit the hair. The tapes were placed as close as possible to the hairline to ensure they stayed invisible. The stylist will add as many or few pieces as needed depending on thickness. The process wasn’t painful, it felt like a normal trip to the hairdressers.”

How long have your extensions lasted? – “The extensions lasted around 8 weeks, however by this point my hair had grown a considerable amount, so they did become a little more noticeable. I would advise having your extensions removed at around 6 weeks. The experts do advise that some of the extensions will fall out over the coming weeks, but I was impressed with how few fell out.”

What are the best things / worst things about your extensions? – “Having extensions makes you feel like you are always ready to party! I went for length and thickness, which meant I felt glam all the time. I loved that the colour matched perfectly and got lots of comments on how natural they looked.
I’d say the worst thing about having the extensions was the amount of time it took to wash my hair. If you are a get up and go kind of girl, then I wouldn’t advise having extensions. However if you are happy to put in the time, they are fantastic.”

Do you think they’d be good for brides ahead of their wedding? Why? – “Extensions are a great way to give your hair that fuller, longer look for your big day. If you want to enhance your cool boho waves, bouncy princess curls or a loose up-do you need extensions for your big day.”

Any words of advice for brides-to-be considering extensions? –  “My top 3 tips for bride considering hair extensions:
1) If you are going for an up-do or half up/half down, I would advise getting the micro rings you are not recommended to have these styles with the invisible tapes.
2) Make sure you have your extensions fitted in good time before your big day. This way you will get used to how they feel and look.
3) Make sure you have your hair trial once you’ve had your extensions fitted.”